Cedar Walton RIP

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Cedar passed on August 19 aged 79. I have fond memories esp seeing him at Cheltenham with Jackie Mclean and Billy Higgins. All now gone.

BN.

John Fordham's obit is in the Guardian.

[Ian Thumwood]

I like Cedar Walton's playing and am sad to hear about him. He was a bit like Mulgrew Miller and James Williams in the way that his approach to the music was genuine. I would have loved to have heard the group with MLean and Higgins. Out of this group of young musicians who emerged with the likes of McCoy and Herbie in the 60's, the only one who is really left is Donald Brown who I suppose really emerged around the same time as the late Kenny Kirkland.

I am most familiar with Cedar Walton's work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers when he was part of the best line up this group had with Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard and Curtis Fuller. The album I really like is "Free for all" even if I feel that Blakey tends to be a bit bombastic and perhaps a little anachronistic - I'm always reminded by Chick Webb wheneever I hear him on records. Walton was part of the next generation of musicians coming through after Blakey and I feel that he was instrumental in helping to establish the mainstream for jazz piano which effectively lasted through into the 1980's before the music seemed to wake up after the hiatus the followed the "New Thing" of the mid-sixties.

I have been tempted with the Aebersold book of Walton compositions but , not being familiar with alot of the tunes, have not managed to get my hands on a copy. Wondered if anyone else here had experience at exploring his music?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

... indeed sad news ..... i saw him in NYC in '88 i think .... not that impressed to telll the truth but he was a stalwart of the bop scene and Blue Note

NYTimes

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

... indeed sad news ..... i saw him in NYC in '88 i think .... not that impressed to telll the truth but he was a stalwart of the bop scene and Blue Note

NYTimes

REALLY? I also saw him 100 years ago in the quartet he co led with Clifford Jordan. A hell of a group. He could be very Monkish at times.

BN.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

REALLY? I also saw him 100 years ago in the quartet he co led with Clifford Jordon. A hell of a group. He could be very Monkish at times.

BN.

Just ckd Cook/Morton who are no real fans of the Blusionote-esque currency and a vast number of Cedar's dates come up as four star.

BTW, Free for All is a fkg amazing date where Blakey channels his Elvin. Astonishing stuff. Frightening even in its intensity and force.

BN.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Just ckd Cook/Morton who are no real fans of the Blusionote-esque currency and a vast number of Cedar's dates come up as four star.

BTW, Free for All is a fkg amazing date where Blakey channels his Elvin. Astonishing stuff. Frightening even in its intensity and force.

BN.

And before we forget, back in the pre war days of R3, Herr Shipton of this parish broadcast a Jazz Library, remember those glorious glory days, of Cedar, by and with Cedar. Himself. 2/7/2011.No longer available except on very rare import C90. For £83.

BN.

The Roland Hanna JL is also worth revisiting... really grown on me.

[Ian Thumwood]

Marion McPartland also passed away last week aged about 95

[Alyn_Shipton]

BN sadly the Walton Jazz Library was just before the regular podcasts started, and so there is no downloadable version available, as far as I can tell. He was an extremely nice man, and had a huge range of interests beyond music. Always good company. I was at the Cheltenham gig with Jackie Mac, though I remember it as Victor Lewis on drums and David Williams on bass. I did the interval interview with Cedar for R3 on that occasion...must dig out the tape and listen again!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

BN sadly the Walton Jazz Library was just before the regular podcasts started, and so there is no downloadable version available, as far as I can tell. He was an extremely nice man, and had a huge range of interests beyond music. Always good company. I was at the Cheltenham gig with Jackie Mac, though I remember it as Victor Lewis on drums and David Williams on bass. I did the interval interview with Cedar for R3 on that occasion...must dig out the tape and listen again!

My memory gets blurred after last week! I was there and I have a memory of Higgins! Oh well...I blame the wine. Will ck my tapes of your interview and the Griffin set. Griff also on the vino!

That Roland Hanna program was excellent. Sorry I was somewhat lukewarm at the time. He was a bit special listening back.

BN.

[Exonian]

Very good sideman - utterly reliable and often inspired. Did some excellent stuff on the Dutch Criss Cross label in the 1980s.

[Tenor Freak]

And so goes another. RIP Cedar Walton - my introduction to your work was this fine Messengers LP which I still own on vinyl courtesy of EMI's Blue Note mid-80s reissue programme. It was also Art's last for the label. This is ace:

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

And so goes another. RIP Cedar Walton - my introduction to your work was this fine Messengers LP which I still own on vinyl courtesy of EMI's Blue Note mid-80s reissue programme. It was also Art's last for the label. This is ace:

GREAT album with Lee back in the line. 'I've got it on an import Bluenote cassette with a bloody big saw mark thro the box. The US deleters obviously didn't want that sold on for 90p.Bristol underpass cut price shop.

BN.

[Jazzrook]

I love his playing on John Coltrane's 'Naima' from Cedar's 1975 'Eastern Rebellion' album - very hard to find now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdTYMDIyQq8

[Space Hilbert]

So sad about this I had to create an account. Saw him at my so far one and only trip to the Village Vanguard a couple of years ago, on boxing day. Completely magical evening, he sure could play for an old fella (so could Vincent Herring on sax). I went up to to him afterwards and squeaked 'hello Mr Walton, can I have your autograph!', which he provided with a gracious smile.

The evening sticks particularly strongly in my memory not only for the reverential sort of tingling I got from being in that place whose name was on so many recordings I had grown up listening to, and the aforementioned playing of a living legend but for the way that as I emerged giddy from the slightly dilapidated club, the previously snowless streets of Greenwich Village where cloaked in over a foot of the stuff. It was completely magical. The subway was forced to close and so my friend and I had to trek over an hour through an as-if-not-surreal-enough Manhattan landscape dotted with people enjoying that brief social liberation that comes with the first snow.

One of my favourite memories. Thanks Mr Walton.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

thank you for sharing that memory Space Hilbert; i hope you find more reasons to post here .... and welcome